Paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor



Nov. 9, 1965 R. A. FERGUSSON 3,216,628

PAINT SPRAY CAN UNIT AND EXTENSION ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Filed Jan. 12, 1965 VIIIIIIIII '11,! II II INVEN TOR. ROBERT A. F E RGUSSOA/ H15 EH5,

United States Patent M 3,216,628 PAENT SPRAY CAN UNIT AND EXTENSEGN ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Robert A. Fergusson, Wilmette, Ill., assignor to Rust- Oleum Corporation, Evanston, 131., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 424,893 1 Claim. (Cl. 222394) This application is a continuation-in-part of applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 156,286, filed December 1, 1961 and entitled Paint Spray Can Unit and Extension Attachment Therefor and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor.

It has been well known heretofore in the art to provide paint spray cans or containers for dispensing and spraying of paints and other surface coatings in aerosol form, including the spraying of rust-preventive paints in aerosol form.

However, one of the problems heretofore encountered in the art has been the fact that conventional paint spray cans or aerosol containers for dispensing surfacecoating compositions in the form of rust-preventive paints cannot be used for spraying many areas of ferrous metal surfaces which become rusted due to the fact that many of such areas are inaccessible with such conventional spray can units or containers or are accessible only with difliculty. Thus, among such areas of ferrous metal surfaces which become rusted and which are either entirely inaccessible or accessible only with difiiculty with conventional rust-preventive paint spray can units are certain parts of automotive vehicles, and other apparatus and machinery, including the so-called rocker panels which are embodied in the frames of automotive vehicles and the interiors of the doors of automotive vehicles and particularly the lower portions of such doors where moisture accumulates due to condensation from the air entrapped in such doors.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid difficulties or problems heretofore experienced in the art and to provide a new and improved paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor which is particularly adapted for use in painting or spraying areas of ferrous metal surfaces which are either inaccessible or are accessible only with difliculty with conventional rust-preventive paint spray can units.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor which are particularly adapted for use in spraying rust-preventive paints or surface coatings onto certain areas of the ferrous metal surfaces, such as the rocker panels and interiors of the doors and other parts, including the underbodies of automotive vehicles, which are inaccessible with conventional rust-preventive paint spray can units or containers, as well as for general household and other uses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved extension attachment for aerosol paint spray can units which may readily be attached to and detached from conventional aerosol paint spray can units for spraying rust-preventive or other paints or like surface coatings into or onto areas which are either entirely inaccessible or are accessible only with difliculty with conventional aerosol paint spray can units or containers.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which by way of illustration shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have con- 3,Zi6,628 Patented Nov. 9, I965 templated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an automotive vehicle showing typical ferrous metal surfaces or parts thereof which are inaccessible with ordinary or conventional rust-preventive aerosol paint spray can units as commonly used for spraying rust-preventive paints;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing a part of the new paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the new paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View of a typical dispensing valve head for the new paint spray unit and extension attachment therefor, taken on line 44- in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in which a hole may be punched or bored in a typical ferrous metal surface, such as the rocker panel or vertical door panel of an automotive vehicle, for the insertion of the extension attachment of the new paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor so as to spray the ferrous metal interior surface of such a door, and the hole then closed by the insertion of a suitable closure plug; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a typical dispensing valve head unit of a spray can paint unit which may be readily adjusted for use with the new paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor.

A preferred embodiment of the new paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor is illustrated in the drawing, wherein it is generally indicated at 1%, and is shown as being employed in a typical use thereof, namely, for spraying certain ferrous metal surfaces of an automotive vehicle 11 which comprises a body frame 12, including a rocker panel 13, and a door 14 which includes a door frame 15 having a vertical side Wall 16.

The new paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor includes an aerosol paint spray can unit 17 of conventional design, which includes a body 18 having a neck portion 19 and an aerosol dispensing valve head unit 2! which is provided with a dispensing or discharge outlet 21.

The new paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor includes an elongated tubular extension attach ment unit which is composed of a series of interconnected somewhat flexible resinous plastic tubular members 22, 23 and 24 which are interconnected by flexible resinous plastic tubular coupling sleeves 25 in which the meeting end portions of the flexible resinous plastic extensions 22 and 23 and 23 and 24 are frictionally engaged, and are abutted as at 36 and 37, respectively, as best shown in FIG. 2. The tubular extension attachments 222324 and flexible coupling sleeves 25 may be made of any suitable relatively flexible resinous plastic material which is resistant to the action of paint solvents and for this purpose I have found polypropylene very satisfactory although other synthetic flexible resinous plastic materials may be used and among these are polyethylene, molded nylon, molded or extruded methylmethacrylate, cellulose acetate and polystyrene. All of these materials are flexible to a degree which would enable the tubular extension attachment members 22-23- 24 to support themselves partially under their own weight, when assembled, while, at the same time, permitting the assembled tubular extension attachment members 22-23- 24 to he flexed or bent somewhat in use, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 2, to enable access to be had to places or areas which would not be accessible with conventional aerosol paint spray dispensing units.

The inner end portion of the innermost flexible plastic tubular extension member 22 is inserted into and is frictionally engaged and held in the dispensing or discharge outlet opening or passage 21 of an aerosol dispensing valve head unit 20 of the paint spray can unit 17. The dispensing outlet opening 21 in the dispensing valve head unit 20 is interconnected with a vertically or longitudinally extending tubular passage 26 in the dispensing valve head unit 20 and the vertically or longitudinally extending passage 26 is connected to a tubular depending extension 27 thereof which extends into the body 18 of the spray can unit 17 longitudinally relative to the long or vertical axis of the body of the spray can 18.

The internal diameter of the flexible plastic tubular extension members 22, 23 and 24 and coupling sleeves 25, is relatively small and is preferably of the order of not less than 0.020" nor more than 0.050" and is smaller than the diameter of the passage 27-26 in the dispensing valve head unit 20, so that the pressure of the rust-preventive or like paint in the paint spray can unit 17 may be maintained throughout the entire length of the tubular extension members 22, 23 and 24 in order that the rustpreventive paint or like material in the paint spray can unit 17 may be forced under the internal pressure in the spray can unit 17 through the elongated tubular extension members 22, 23 and 25 onto the desired surface to be sprayed, as will be explained presently.

In the use of the new paint spray unit and extension attachment therefor, the parts may be assembled as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing, whereupon the new paint spray unit and extension attachment therefor may be used to spray rust-preventive paint onto a ferrous metal surface, such as the inner surfaces of the lower portion of an automotive vehicle door 14. To accomplish this result a hole 28 may be punched, with a suitable hand punch, or drilled, into the lower end portion of the vertical wall 16 of the door 14, whereupon the tubular extension members 24-23-22 may be inserted through the hole 28 into the body of the door 14 to the desired extent, as indicated in FIG. 1. To this end the hole 28 is preferably punched or drilled large enough to accommodate the tubular members 22-23-24 and the somewhat larger diameter coupling sleeves 25. The dispensing valve unit 20 may then be manually operated, whereupon rust-preventive paint, under pressure, will be dispensed from the aerosol paint spray can unit 17 through the dispensing valve head unit 20, by way of the passage 27-26, into the tubular extension members 22-23-24 and thence into the lower interior portion of the body of the door 14 which may thus be sprayed with rust-preventive paint to prevent or retard rusting thereof. During the spraying operation the tubular extension members 22-23-24 may be Withdrawn gradually from the interior of the door 14 by manipulating the spray can unit 17 in a direction away from the door 14 with an up and down motion so as to impart a Whip-like motion to the tubular extension attachment members 22- 23-24 and thus more effectively assure reaching all of the parts of the interior of the lower portion of the door 14 with the rust-preventive paint discharged from the tubular extension members 22-23-24.

After the interior surface of the lower portion of the door 14 has thus been sprayed the hole 28 may be closed by inserting therein a closure plug 29 which includes a body or shank thereof and the resilient arms 32 thereon may be manually driven through the hole 28 in the vertical wall 16 of the door 14, thereby compressing the resilient spring arms 32, and after the closure plug 29 has been inserted into the hole 28 the resilient spring arms 32 thereof will expand radially outwardly under the force of their own innate resiliency to hold or latch the closure plug 29 in position of use in the hole 28 of the door 14 with the button-shaped head portion 31 thereof closing and concealing the hole 28 in the wall 16 of the door so as not to detract from the appearance of the car door 14.

Similarly, the new paint spray can unit and attachment therefor may be used to spray rust-preventive paint into or onto other parts of an automotive vehicle 11, such as the rocker panel 13 of an automotive vehicle frame 12, by punching or drilling a hole in the horizontal edge 33 of the rocker panel 13 and inserting the tubular extension attachment 22-23-24 therein and spraying rust-preventive paint from the spray can unit 17 thereinto, in the manner described above in connection with spraying rust-preventive paint into the lower portion of the car door 14, whereupon a closure plug 29a, similar to the closure plug 29, may be inserted into the opening in the horizontal edge 33 of the rocker panel 13 to clos the same.

A conventional aerosol dispensing or discharge valve head unit is illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawing, where it is generally indicated at 20a, and those parts thereof which are similar to corresponding parts in the form of the dispensing valve head unit illustrated in FIG. 4 have been given the same reference numerals followed by the additional and distinguishing reference character a. Thus, in the form of the aerosol dispensing valve head unit 20a shown in FIG. 6 the opening 21a has a plastic resinous plug 34 inserted therein and this plug has a discharge outlet passage or orifice 35 formed therein through which point, in aerosol form, may be discharged, by manually operating the dispensing valve head unit 20a, as is Well understood in the art. However, to adapt the present invention to a conventional aerosol paint spray can unit, and dispensing valve head unit therefor, as shown in FIG. 6, it is merely necessary to remove the plug 34 from the opening or passage 21a in the dispensing valve head unit 28a and insert therein the inner end portion of the innermost flexible tubular extension attachment member 22, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the inner end portion of the innermost tubular extension attachment member 22 being frictionally held in the discharge outlet passage 21a in the dispensing valve head unit 20a. However, the aerosol dispensing valve head unit 210, as shown in FIG. 6, may be used as it is shown in FIG. 6 without the tubular extension attachment 22-23-24, as a conventional aerosol dispensing spray can unit.

While the flexible tubular extension attachment 22-23- 24 is shown in FIG. 2 as extending generally right-angularly from the body of the spray can unit 17, it is understood that in use it will tend to bend downwardly into arcuate form under its own weight.

The uses of the new paint spray unit and extension attachment therefor, which are described above, are merely typical of the uses to which the present invention may be put and are not limitative thereof since the present invention is adapted and intended for use in spraying rustpreventive paints on ferrous metal surfaces wherever it may be desirable or necessary to spray ferrous metal surfaces which are either inaccessible or accessible only with difiiculty with conventional aerosol spray can units, brushes, or the like, including many other ferrous metal parts of automotive vehicles, and ferrous metal parts of other apparatus, machinery, and the like, as well as for general household use.

Moreover, while the new paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor have been disclosed as being primarily useful with rust-preventive paints they may be also used with non-rust-preventive paints and like surface coatings for spraying surfaces which are either inaccessible or are accessible with difliculty with conventional aerosol spray can units.

Likewise, the extension attachment comprised of the flexible tubular extension members 22-23-24 and coupling members 25 may be sold as separate parts and assembled as a unit for use With spray can units since the extension attachment may readily be attached to conventional spray can units for rust-preventive and other paints and other surface coatings, as described above in connection with FIG. 6.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, that the present invention provides a new and improved paint spray can unit and extension attachment therefor having the desirable advantages and characteristics and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

I claim:

An aerosol paint spray can unit and flexible extension attachment therefor adapted for use in spraying aerosol surface coating materials on parts which are accessible with difficulty, comprising, in combination, a paint spray can having a dispensing valve head unit thereon provided with a dispensing outlet passage extending longitudinally therethrough in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the said spray can and above the latter and the said dispensing valve head unit having a discharge outlet passage formed therein in communication with the said longitudinally extending dispensing outlet passage, an elongated flexible tubular extension attachment comprising a plurality of relatively flexible tubular extension members having meeting end portions arranged in end-to-end relationship and including an innermost flexible tubular extension member having an inner end portion removably insertable into the said discharge outlet passage of the said dispensing valve head unit and frictionally held therein, a flexible tubular coupling member having the said meeting end portions of said flexible tubular extension attachment members telescopically inserted therein and abutting each other therein and frictionally held therein by the said flexible tubular coupling member, the said flexible tubular extension attachment members being composed of flexible resinous plastic material which is resistant to the solvent action of solvents used in aerosol surface coating materials and like surface coating materials, and said discharge outlet passage in the said dispensing valve head unit having a plastic resinous plug member removably inserted therein and in which the said plastic resinous plug member has a dispensing outlet passage therein and extending axially therethrough in communication with the said longitudinally extending dispensing outlet passage in the said dispensing valve head unit, said plastic resinous plug member being removable from the said discharge outlet passage in the said dispensing valve head unit for reception of the inner end portion of the said innermost tubular extension member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 129,405 7/72 Hale 285-369 X 2,547,983 4/51 Slattery 285-369 2,908,446 10/59 Strause 222394 X 2,966,283 12/60 Darvie 222394 X 2,968,441 1/ 61 Holcomb 222-394 X 2,973,123 2/ 61 Rousset.

3,107,826 10/63 Kruck. 3,144,179 8/ 64 Gildone 222394 FOREIGN PATENTS 941,166 4/56 Germany.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

